Game 41 Jazz vs. Cavaliers: At the halfway point

Hey, how about that? Winning a game we’re supposed to win, without any major breakdowns or facepalm moments. I’ll drink to that!

P.S. Gordon Hayward has been on a tear lately. So if you’re wondering about his sub-par game, well…

Quotage**Al Jefferson: I think Faves [Derrick Favors] and Big Turkey [Enes Kanter] came in and stepped up and played well for us tonight. You know, we, me and Paul [Millsap] had an advantage, and, but they really had an advantage. And we just kinda took advantage on their side, and they picked up where we left off…One of the things I was most impressed with, how patient they was. You know, sometime when you get that mismatch you feel, rush, you wanna overdo things, but they was more patient.**Enes Kanter: My teammates give me so much confidence. You know, Jamaal [Tinsley], Earl [Watson], you know, the two point guards give me so much confidence on the court. You know, when I’m on the bench, they just make me feel so comfortable, so whenever I’m on the court, I just did my job. [Jamaal interrupts: Ladies and gentlemen, the Big Turk got SWAG.] Enes: OMG.**Enes on the the diversification of his offensive game: Every time when I’m on the practice or when I’m on the game, I’m always watching Al, and I’m, like, watching him, what is he doing on the court, so it’s helping me a lot…Al teach me a lot of things. [What’s the biggest thing he’s taught you?] Don’t bring the ball down with rebound. That’s it…Every time I’m bringing ball down he’s yelling at me, he’s like, “Don’t bring the ball down, Big Turk.”… He’s my, like, big brother.

(That’s Jamaal’s arm in the red plaid shirt you see snapping Enes’ jacket in the .gif on the right.)

**Enes Kanter on his style: I’m Europe. I can wear whatever I want. They can’t. They’re American. [Do you give your teammates fashion advice?] They don’t understand fashion. They got no style. So that’s why they jealous. That’s it.**More from Enes: [People say France is five years ahead in fashion…] I say 10. With Al and Jamaal, 10, 15.**Enes on why his fashion has improved since last season: Well, I had a girlfriend. That’s why. Now I’m single. Now I’m single, I’m just wearing more stylish.

Unintentional Dirty Quote Machines of the Night (UDQM)** Big Al: CJ one of them guys, when he get hot, he’s hard to stop.** Booner on Irving’s mask: He refuses to take it off. He just feels like there’s more protection and he has no problem playing with it. (H/T @edwin_nba)** Boler on Favors: Goes strong to the hole…and we’ll now see Favors shoot a couple. Booner: This is just a hard play and foul backside by Luke Walton.** Boler: Down she goes and a whistle!** Booner: There’s a lady back here screaming, “Keep him out of there!” I’m thinking, “They’re trying. Sometimes it doesn’t get done.”** Boler on Big Al: When he’s hot, you can’t stop that shot.** Booner on Big Al shot: This is an 18- to 20-footer, and he’s at ease.** Booner: I guarantee Zeller has gone for that pump fake at least five or six times tonight, and Al just keeps giving it to him. Here you go right here. BOOM! Like a little pogo stick. He just keeps going after it. Boler: Look at the replay. He’s fully extended on showing that ball.** Booner on Luke Walton: I didn’t think he would last this long. I really didn’t.** Steve Brown: You know what they say, Randy. They say you open it up for them inside.** Boler to Favors, post-game: What’s your favorite shot right now? You like to go to the rack…What’s in your bag of tricks that you like to pull out the most?** Tinsley, post-game: We wanted to eliminate touches, certain guys, and make it hard for them.** Corbin on Enes, post-game: He’s just big inside…He’s getting a lot more patient, waiting to see what he have, and when he has his one-on-one opportunities, he’s finishing the play. And he’s actually getting quicker in there once he go to go and finish, and not as much banging.** Corbin on Jamaal and Earl: These guys have been super all year, man, especially since Mo’s been going down.